Asher claims 3 awards in goat competition

A first year exhibitor from Asher, who moved from Mustang, claimed the top award in the wether goat competition of the county Junior Livestock Show.

By Mike McCormick

A first year exhibitor captured the top prize in the wether goat competition at the Pottawatomie County Junior Livestock Show, as Asher claimed three of the top four awards in the overall goat show contest in the show.

A Tecumseh youth continued his dominance in the doe goat competition.

The 76th annual show, sponsored by the Greater Shawnee Chamber of Commerce, will continue this morning with swine judging beginning at 9 a.m.

Kalie Orman, a freshman at Asher High School and a member of the Asher FFA, is showing sheep for the first time in her life this year. She and her family moved from the Mustang School District and she says she enjoys the smaller district much better.

Orman won the grand champion wether award in the show, automatically qualifying for Friday night’s premium sale which concludes the show.

The 15-year-old daughter of Heather and Frank Orman, she is a cousin to Trent and Tyler Boles, she said. The Boles brothers dominated a portion of the goat competition during their high school careers.

Both have since graduated and moved onto college. They are the sons of Jill Boles.

Orman said what she enjoys most about the show is “just competing against others.”

Keifer Neeley, 13, and a member of the Asher 4-H, showed the reserve grand champion wether.

This is the fourth year for him to show goats. He said it’s the first time he has placed this high in the show here. The son of Michael and Teresa Neeley, he also qualified for the sale.

Orman’s award was sponsored by Hull and Totten, P.C., and Keifer’s award was sponsored by ONG.

Blake Kennedy, now a freshman at Tecumseh High School, continued his dominance in the doe goat competition. A member of the Tecumseh FFA, Kennedy claimed his seventh grand champion award this week in that portion of the competition.

He’s the son of Regene and Todd Kennedy and he’s been showing since he was nine years old.

Kennedy also had the grand champion swine entry at last year’s county Junior Livestock Show

and he will be showing swine again this year.

His win also already has qualified him for the Premium sale.

Kennedy also won the Intermediate Showmanship Award here this week in the goat competition. His grand champion award was sponsored by Vision Bank as was his Intermediate Showmanship award.

Tye Neeley, a junior at Asher High School, claimed the reserve grand championship in the doe goat competition. The 17-year-old son of Michael and Teresa Neeley, he’s been showing goats four years, he said.

With the win, his goat qualified for Friday night’s sale. He said this is the first time he has placed this high in the show. He’s qualified for the sale, he said, the other three years as well.